A CL65 flight crew questions the taxi clearance given by local controller after landing at bos, ma.

Attributes
ACN	579253
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet CL65, Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	landing : go around
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	579253
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance flight crew : executed go around flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

After landing on bos runway 4R, tower instructed us to exit left onto runway 33R. I'm not certain, but I believe that the controller then instructed us to taxi to the ramp, but hold short of runway 15R (the first officer thought he said 'hold short of runway 4R', even though we had just landed of runway 4R). The first officer and I both had our airport diagrams out and were discussing 'what did the controller say?' I had been taxiing very slowly, and was almost stopped so that we could get a clarified clearance when the controller called us and told us to 'hold short of runway 4L.' we were already nearly stopped, but did stop short of runway 4L. The controller then instructed a landing aircraft to go around. I'm not sure why, we were not intruding onto his landing runway. My assumption is that it was a precautionary move on the part of the controller. We may all have been uncertain. Boston can be a very confusing airport confign to taxiing crews. There are already 5 runway incursion hot spots listed on the airport diagram. This was an interesting situation, because when taxiing on a runway, there are no 'hold short' lines for intersecting runways. My first officer and I were very tired at the end of a rough flying day, but we were both very cautious about the runway layout and our position. I was stopping because we just were not sure about our taxi clearance. There are times when it is better to 'stop first, and ask questions later.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT CREW QUESTIONS THE TAXI CLRNC GIVEN BY LCL CTLR AFTER LNDG AT BOS, MA.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG ON BOS RWY 4R, TWR INSTRUCTED US TO EXIT L ONTO RWY 33R. I'M NOT CERTAIN, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI TO THE RAMP, BUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 15R (THE FO THOUGHT HE SAID 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4R', EVEN THOUGH WE HAD JUST LANDED OF RWY 4R). THE FO AND I BOTH HAD OUR ARPT DIAGRAMS OUT AND WERE DISCUSSING 'WHAT DID THE CTLR SAY?' I HAD BEEN TAXIING VERY SLOWLY, AND WAS ALMOST STOPPED SO THAT WE COULD GET A CLARIFIED CLRNC WHEN THE CTLR CALLED US AND TOLD US TO 'HOLD SHORT OF RWY 4L.' WE WERE ALREADY NEARLY STOPPED, BUT DID STOP SHORT OF RWY 4L. THE CTLR THEN INSTRUCTED A LNDG ACFT TO GO AROUND. I'M NOT SURE WHY, WE WERE NOT INTRUDING ONTO HIS LNDG RWY. MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT IT WAS A PRECAUTIONARY MOVE ON THE PART OF THE CTLR. WE MAY ALL HAVE BEEN UNCERTAIN. BOSTON CAN BE A VERY CONFUSING ARPT CONFIGN TO TAXIING CREWS. THERE ARE ALREADY 5 RWY INCURSION HOT SPOTS LISTED ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM. THIS WAS AN INTERESTING SIT, BECAUSE WHEN TAXIING ON A RWY, THERE ARE NO 'HOLD SHORT' LINES FOR INTERSECTING RWYS. MY FO AND I WERE VERY TIRED AT THE END OF A ROUGH FLYING DAY, BUT WE WERE BOTH VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE RWY LAYOUT AND OUR POS. I WAS STOPPING BECAUSE WE JUST WERE NOT SURE ABOUT OUR TAXI CLRNC. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT IS BETTER TO 'STOP FIRST, AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.